Assembly adapted to be assembled from two separate driving bodies

ABSTRACT

An assembly is adapted to be assembled from a copying machine and drying machine. The copying machine has a chain belt driven by a drive source and a transmission sprocket meshing with the chain belt and the drying machine has a chain belt provided therein. When the drying machine is mechanically connected to the copying machine, the transmission sprocket is engaged with the chain belt of the drying machine to permit it to be driven by the drive source of the copying machine.

Elite States Patent 1 Konno et al.

[ 1 Dec. 17, 19 74- ASSEMBLY ADAPTED TO BE ASSEMBLED FROM TWO SEPARATE DRIVING BODIES [75] Inventors: Minoru Konno, Oyama; Mitsuo Ichiki, Tokyo, both of Japan [73] Assignee: Copyer Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan 22 Filed: Nov. 12, 1973 [21] App]. No.: 414,623

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 16, 1972 Japan 47-l3ll42 [52] US. Cl 74/216.5, 74/405, 74/606 [51] Int. Cl. F16h 7/00, Fl6h 57/00, Fl6h 57/02 [58] Field of Search 74/216.5, 405, 606

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Orr 74/606 X Primary Examiner-Leonard H. Gerin Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Flynn & Frishauf 57 ABSTRACT An assembly is adapted to be assembled from a copying machine and drying machine. The copying machine has a chain belt driven by a drive source and a transmission sprocket meshing with the chain belt and the drying machine has a chain belt provided therein. When the drying machine is mechanically connected 'to the copying machine, thetransmission sprocket is engaged with the chain belt of the drying machine to permit it to be driven by the drive source of the copying machine. 1

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures I 1 ASSEMBLY ADAPTED TO BE ASSEMBLED FROM TWO SEPARATE DRIVING BODIES This invention relates to an assembly adapted to be assembled from a main body and sub-body each having a driving section in which, when these bodies are mechanically connected together, a driving force from one driving section is transmitted to the other section.

In a functionally interconnected main body and subbody as found, for example, in a copying machine and drying machine, they are operatively connected in a manner that the sub-body is driven by a driving source of the main body. As means for operatively connecting these two bodies, respective transmission spur gears are 7 There will be explained by reference tothe drawing an assembly adapted to be assembled from a functionally interconnected main body and sub-body as found in a copying machine and drying machine.

' In FIG. 1 a copying machine represented by a reference 10 has a housing 11 in which various mechanisms (not shown) necessary for copying operation are accommodated. A drying machine 12 to be associated with the copying machine 10 has a housing 13 in which various mechanisms (not shown) necessary for drying a copied paper are provided. The copying machine 10 and the drying machine 12 have the confronting surfaces 11a and 13a of the respective housings abutted relative to each other and mechanically connected by a connecting mechanism l4.'The connecting mechanism 14 has an upper-engaging pins 15 and lower engaging pins 16 respectively projected from the opposite 7 sides of the housing adjacent to one end surface 1 la of engageable with the opposite gear and, furthermore,

It is accordingly the object of this invention to provide an assembly adapted to be assembled, by an easy operation, from a driving main body and driving subbody having an operatively connecting means with a simple construction.

An assembly according to one aspect of this invention comprises a first body, a second body, means for mechanically connecting these bodies together, a first chain belt provided in the first body so as to be driven, a second chain belt .provided in the second body so as to be driven, and a transmission sprocket provided in the first body to mesh with the first chain belt and adapted to mesh with the second chain belt, when the first and second bodiesare mechanically connected together, to permit these'bodies to be operatively connected together. Any one of the first and second bodies may be a main body or sub-body. The transmission sprocket may be provided in the main body or sub-body.

A driving source of the chain belt may be disposed I outside of the main body or sub-body so as to drive one of therespective chain belts by a suitable power transmitting means. Alternatively a driving source of the chain may be provided in the main body or sub-body.

showing the state taken after it is operatively assem-.

bled; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the connecting section of the assembly.

the copying machine, and upper engaging members 17 and lower engaging members 18 projecting outwardly from one end surface of the drying machine and engageable with the upper and lower engaging pins. The lower engaging members have their basicends firmly mounted within the housing and have engaging recesses 18a provided attheir forward end surfaces. The upper engaging members '17 are pivotally mounted to the housing 13..Wire springs 19 are connected to the base ends of the-upper engaging members 17 to permit the upper engaging members to be urged in a counterclockwise direction in FIG. 3.

At the upper side-of the forward end portion of the upper engaging member an inclined surface is provided. An engaging recess 17a engageable'with the engaging pin 15 is provided in the inclined surface of the upper engaging member 17. Theupperengaging member 17 has a portion extending outwardly through an optning provided in the upper surface of the housing, and a push button 20 is mounted at the extending portion of the upper engaging member. i I

Where the copying machine 10 and the drying machine 12 are mechanically connected by the connecting mechanism 14, a push button 20 is depressed to cause the engaging member 17 to be swung in a clockwise direction against the force of the spring 19 as shown in FIG. 1, and the housing 13 of the drying machine is moved ina direction indicated by an arrow in FIG. 1 to thereby abut together the end surfaces 11a,

'13a of the housings ll, 13. At this time, it will be understood that the lower engaging pins 16 are respectively engaged with the, recesses 18a of the lower engaging members 18 and that the recesses 17a of the upper engaging members 17 are situated below the v upper engaging pins 15 in a manner to be held unengaged. Then, the push button 20. is released to cause the engaging member 17 to be swung in a counterclockwise direction under'the influence of the spring whereby a mechanical connection between the dryingmachine and the copying machine is assured.

Within the housing 11 of the copying machine a plurality of guide sprockets 21 are rotatably mounted at predetermined intervals. These sprocketsv 21 may be mounted directly to the inner wall of the housing or may be mounted through suitable bearings. An endless chain belt 22 is carried and guided on these sprocket wheels 21. The chain belt 22 is driven by a drive sprocket 23 connected to a motor (not shown). Near one end surface 11a of the housing 11 of the copying machine is situated a transmission sprocket 24 rotatably mounted at the center level of the housing in a manner that the part of the sprocket 24 projects outwardly of the end surface 11a of the housing 11. The sprocket 24 is engaged with the chain belt 22 and is rotated by the drive of the chain belt.

Within the housing 13 of the drying machine 12 are rotatably mounted guide sprockets 25 disposed at predetermined intervals. The guide sprocket 25 guides an endless chain belt 26 and various mechanisms of the drying machine are driven by the movement of the chain belt 26. A tension sprocket 27 is engaged with the endless belt 26 to cause the belt 26 to be urged in a direction of the end surface of the housing 11, thereby imparting a predetermined tension to the belt. The tension sprocket 27 may comprise a normal sprocket, a compression spring disposed between the sprocket and the housing to urge the sprocket normally in a direction of the belt, and a mechanism for movably holding the sprocket only in a direction of the belt.

There will be explained the operation of the copying machine and drying machine.

Suppose that only the copying machine as separated I from the drying machine is used. The motor is driven to cause the sprocket 23 connected to the motor to be rotated to permit the chain belt 22 to be moved. This causes each sprocket 21 to be rotated, with the result that various mechanisms necessary for copying are moved. When the drying machine is used together with the copying machine, the former is mechanically connected to the latter as mentioned above. At this time, that peripheral surface of the drive sprocket 24 which projects outwardly of the end 11a of the housing 11 is engaged with the chain endless belt 26 provided within the housing 13, as shown in FIG. 2, with the result that the endless chain belt 22 provided within the copying machine 11 is operatively connected to the endless chain belt 26 of the drying machine. Therefore, a drive force of one chain driven by the motor is transmitted through the sprocket 24 to the other chain 26, and the chain belt 26 is driven by the motor of the copying machine.

When the mechanically and operatively connected devices 10 and 12 are separated from each other, the button 20 is depressed to cause the engaging member 17 to be swung in a clockwise direction to permit the engaging member to be disengaged from the pin 15. Then, the housing 13 of the drying machine is removed from the copying machine 10. Thus, the drying machine is mechanicallyand operatively disconnected from the copying machine.

As will be easily understood from the above embodiment, a main body sub-body assembly according to this invention is very simple in construction and capable of being easily assembled irrespective of whether one of the two bodies is in the driving state or in the non-driving state.

Although there is explained a copying machine which may be driven and operated by itself, an assembly may be constructed in a manner that a copying machine can not be operated without connection with a drying machine. This construction may be easily obtained by providing a microswitch in the copying machine which is closed to drive the motor only when an upper engaging member is engaged with a pin and which is opened when disengaging of the upper engaging member and Though, in the above embodiment, the main body and sub-body have been explained as the copying machine and drying machine respectively, this invention should not be restricted thereto. This invention is applicable to any main body sub-body assembly in-which various mechanisms are driven by chain belts respectively provided in the main body and sub-body, the chain belt of the main body beingdriven by a drive source. The drive sprocket may be provided in the subbody instead of the main body. As means for mechanically coupling together the main body and sub-body, any means may be used as far as the main body and sub-body can be positively connected together.

What we claim is: 1

1. An assembly adapted to be detachably assembled from first and second bodies, comprising means for mechanically connecting together these two bodies, a first chain belt provided in the first body so as to be driven, a second chain belt provided in the second body so as to be driven, and a transmission sprocket provided in the first body to be engaged with the first'chain belt and, when the first and second bodies are mechanically connected together, adapted to be engaged with the second chain belt to permit the first and second chain belts to be operatively connected together.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 in which said first and second bodies have first and second housings, respectively, connected together at their respective end surfaces and including said first and second chain belts and said transmission sprocket has its peripheral surface partially extending outwardly of the end surface of the first housing and is operatively engaged, at said peripheral surface, with the second chain belt of the second housing when both the housings are mechanically connected together.

3. An assembly according to claim 2 in which there is further provided means for urging the second chain belt within the second housing in a direction of the end surface of the housing.

4. An assembly according to claim 2 in which said mechanically connecting means has a pair of engaging pins provided in a spaced-apart relationship and near the end surface of the first housing and a pair of engaging members provided in the second housing in a spaced-apart relationship in a manner to project outwardly of the end surface of the second housing so that the respective engaging members are engaged with the corresponding pins when the first and second bodies are connected together.

5. An assembly according toclaim l in which there is further provided, at one of these two bodies, means for driving the chain belt. 

1. An assembly adapted to be detachably assembled from first and secOnd bodies, comprising means for mechanically connecting together these two bodies, a first chain belt provided in the first body so as to be driven, a second chain belt provided in the second body so as to be driven, and a transmission sprocket provided in the first body to be engaged with the first chain belt and, when the first and second bodies are mechanically connected together, adapted to be engaged with the second chain belt to permit the first and second chain belts to be operatively connected together.
 2. An assembly according to claim 1 in which said first and second bodies have first and second housings, respectively, connected together at their respective end surfaces and including said first and second chain belts and said transmission sprocket has its peripheral surface partially extending outwardly of the end surface of the first housing and is operatively engaged, at said peripheral surface, with the second chain belt of the second housing when both the housings are mechanically connected together.
 3. An assembly according to claim 2 in which there is further provided means for urging the second chain belt within the second housing in a direction of the end surface of the housing.
 4. An assembly according to claim 2 in which said mechanically connecting means has a pair of engaging pins provided in a spaced-apart relationship and near the end surface of the first housing and a pair of engaging members provided in the second housing in a spaced-apart relationship in a manner to project outwardly of the end surface of the second housing so that the respective engaging members are engaged with the corresponding pins when the first and second bodies are connected together.
 5. An assembly according to claim 1 in which there is further provided, at one of these two bodies, means for driving the chain belt. 